Up on the slopes of Winter Hill, quite near to the Terraced Gardens, lies the Pigeon Tower, creating quite a standout landmark on the hill.
The tower itself was built around 1905-1909 by Lord Lever as a birthday present to his wife and was originally called the Lookout Tower, for very obvious reasons.
As you approach the tower, and you will have to have done some pretty testing climbing, you will notice its construction straight away.
Four floors with a pitched roof and even a chimney are all viewable from the outside with a rounded gable end on one side.
The tower is located next to the track/road that reaches onwards towards the Belmont Road and further into Lancashire.
Internally there are four floors connected by a winding staircase built of stone and it would have been a very narrow ascent to the top. The staircase is housed in the rounded gable end.
You can see that the building, whilst probably part "folly" was also a practical building with windows on each floor and a method of heating, evidenced by the working chimney.
The views from the top of the Tower would be quite spectacular, but the windows all face away from the main vista, which is an indication that perhaps the building was more "folly" than we think?
The fireplace on the top floor has an emblem over the top of it which spells out the word "WHEEL" and this refers to the initials of Lord Lever and his wife (William Hesketh and Elizabeth Ellen Lever).
The National Lottery Heritage fund has played a big role in the refurbishment and upkeep of the Tower and on Open Days you can actually visit the inside of the Tower, which is normally kept locked up.
I would also think that in days gone by, many a traveler has taken shelter and refuge in the tower, as Winter Hill can be a cold and desolate place at times.
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